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Adventures In Wonderland
Adventures in Wonderland is a live-action musical television series based on Walt Disney's animated classic Alice in Wonderland. In the series, Alice (played by Elisabeth Harnois), was portrayed as a girl who can go to and from Wonderland simply by walking through her mirror (a reference to Wonderland's source material Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass). Usually the format consisted of Alice coming home from school and talking to Dinah (her cat) about a problem facing her that day, then going into Wonderland and finding the residents of that world facing a similar crisis. At the end of each episode she would return to the real world with a solution to her problem. In some cases, Alice would have a problem with her little brother, her older sister, a friend, or some other dilemma, and by the show's end, she would know how to deal with it. The show ran from 1991 to 1995 on the Disney Channel and on stations across the country. Like many Disney Channel original shows, Adventures in Wonderland was taped at Disney-MGM Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, but on a single giant set for all scenes in "wonderland", used exclusively for the show. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released three VHS tapes of certain episodes. Cast Elisabeth Harnois as Alice John Robert Hoffman as the Mad Hatter Reece Holland as the March Hare Armelia McQueen as the Red Queen Patrick Richwood as the White Rabbit Harry Waters, Jr. as Tweedle Dee Robert Barry Fleming as Tweedle Dum Wesley Mann as the Caterpillar Richard Kuhlman as the Cheshire Cat (voice) John Lovelady as the Dormouse (voice) Ken Page as the Walrus Teri Garr as the Duchess Main characters Alice: The show's protagonist, played by Elisabeth Harnois. Alice is an average preteen, often facing problems in school, with her little brother (Brian) or big sister (Kathy), or some other issue. She often confides in her cat Dinah about her day. Alice has a special gift in that she is able to pass into Wonderland by walking through her mirror (see Through the Looking-Glass). Whenever she arrives, she helps her friends solve their problems, which in turn offers a solution to hers in the real world. The Red Queen: The ruler of Wonderland, played by Armelia McQueen. The Red Queen or Queen of Hearts, is Wonderland's sole monarch (she is combination of The Queen of Hearts from Carroll's original book and the Red Queen from Through The Looking-Glass). She is strict but fair, often citing her mother and grandmother's example in her ruling. Unfortunately, the Queen is occasionally a source for trouble, usually due to her selfish attitude. As queen, she expects to get whatever she wants right away, and often pouts when things go wrong - often to the point where she says "Oh harumph!". She usually ends up eating crow by the end of the episode, but sometimes, she offers solutions to problems other Wonderland residents face. Deep down, she cares greatly for her subjects (especially the White Rabbit), throwing them parties and celebrating their accomplishments. The White Rabbit: The queen's chief lackey, played by Patrick Richwood. The White Rabbit is the Queen's personal chef, servant, butler, event planner, shopping assistant, and every other job that she can think of at the time. He wears roller skates to get around, and occasionally loses control-with humorous results. He is also exceptionally timid, unable to stand up to the Queen when he is being treated unjustly. Rabbit is good friends with the other citizens of Wonderland, and he is often a notable accomplice in their schemes, given his proximity to Her Majesty. Though he occasionally complains, the White Rabbit is actually the Queen's closest confidant, and he often sympathizes with her. Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee: A pair of wacky twins played by Robert Barry Fleming and Harry Waters Jr.. The Tweedles wear bright, colorful clothing and sing and dance in the style of hip hop music. As brothers, they share a strong sibling rivalry, often competing with each other about nearly everything. They are the most athletic residents of Wonderland, often playing sports and organizing games. The two's brotherly love usually triumphs over petty problems, and they usually offer Alice some sensible advice on any problems she may have. The Mad Hatter: Wonderland's resident oddball, played by John Robert Hoffman. The Mad Hatter lives in a house shaped like a hat, and is usually seen at his perpetually set tea table. He tends to be rather careless with his dishes and cups. The Mad Hatter is Wonderland's chief inventor, often devising crazy machines and potions to get himself and the gang out of trouble. However, the devices tend to get them into further trouble. He also has an affinity for disguises, such as fake beards and nose/eyeglasses. His catch phrase is, "How true that is." The March Hare: The hare that manages to be bright and foolish at the same time, played by Reece Holland. The March Hare is quite intelligent, and he often assists his best friend the Mad Hatter in inventing and scheming. Unfortunately, the Hare lacks common sense, and is easily duped by others. The March Hare also usually serves the role of conscience among his friends; when a poor choice of judgment is reached, he is usually the one who questions the decision the most. He and the Hatter are best friends, but they annoy each other almost as much as they pal around. The Caterpillar: This mammoth insect is Wonderland's wisest resident, played by Wesley Mann. When the Caterpillar speaks, he draws out his vowels in a long, deep voice. As a bug, he has three pairs of hands, which he often uses in tandem to complete tasks. The Caterpillar has a book of wondrous stories, similar to fables in their animal characters and simple morals. The characters often visit the Caterpillar in his mushroom glen to seek advice, which comes in the form of a story. Occasionally, he leaves his patch to visit other Wonderland areas. The Cheshire Cat: a sarcastic, purple-striped cat that has the power to disappear and reappear at will. The Cat loves to play all manner of practical jokes on the Wonderlanders, but even he occasionally performs some act of kindness. The Dormouse: A tiny rodent played by a puppet. The Dormouse lives in a teapot on the Hatter's tea table. Despite his small size, he apparently has all the necessities of life inside his home, including a kitchen sink and a painting gallery. Minor characters The Duchess: The Red Queen's chief rival and, in a strange way, good friend (played by Teri Garr). The Duchess and the Queen constantly quest to upstage each other, often trading insults along the way. Often refers to the Queen as "Twinkle Toes". Apparently, their rivalry began when they were still quite young. All of the Wonderlanders assume that the Queen and Duchess dislike each other-but deep down, the two admit that they have a special, if rocky, relationship. The Walrus: A newcomer to Wonderland, played by veteran Broadway actor Ken Page. When the Walrus first moved to Wonderland, he was the victim of prejudice, but soon gained friendships with all of the other citizens. The Walrus is quite smart-although he does have one rather strange oddity, in that his best friend Pinniped is completely invisible. Though the Walrus seems different, he is accepted as just another member of the Wonderland gang. Crystalvision: Although not really a living breathing character Crystalvision (Crystal for short) is often seen around Wonderland in various places. Crystal's role in Wonderland is something like that of a television showing clips and prerecorded images for all the citizens of Wonderland to see. In some episodes it was shown having a real personality by making joke via showing words on its screen and by the characters acknowledging it as a person. Episodes Main article: List of Adventures in Wonderland episodes Preceded by Mickey Mouse Club Disney Channel Original Series Succeeded by Flash Forward Awards Daytime Emmy Awards 1992 – Outstanding Hairstyling – Richard Sabre and Tish Simpson (Won) 1994 – Outstanding Makeup – Ron Wild and Karen Stephens (Won) 1994 – Outstanding Writing in a Children's Series – Daryl Busby and Tom J. Astle (Won) (Tied with Sesame Street) 1995 – Outstanding Costume Design – Lois DeArmond (Won) 1996 – Outstanding Makeup – Karen Stephens and Ron Wild (Won) 1996 – Outstanding Directing in a Children's Series – Shelley Jensen, David Grossman and Gary Halvorson (Won)